Trunk



(No Model.)

G. OWENS.

TRUNK.

No. 487,716. Patented Oct-7, 1890.

IN VEN TOR rs [pw-uw.,

ATTORNEY'.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE OWENS, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,716, dated October 7, 1890.

Application tiled January 16, 1890- Serial No. 337,056. (No model.)

.T0 all whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE OWENS, of the city of Albany, county of Albany, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trunks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to trunks and traveling-cases, and it consists in constructing a trunk or case provided with one or more movable trays or compartments in such a manner that access to the contents of any one of the trays or compartments may be obtained without disturbing another tray, at the same time, by means of vertically-movable shelves or supports for the said trays, enabling each superimposed tray to be forced directly upon its immediately inferior tray and form a close cover for it, so as to retain the contents of the latter, all of which will clearly appear in the following description and claims.

Accompanying and forming a part of this specification is oneplate of drawings containing seven figures, in all of which similar letters refer to corresponding parts.

Figure l shows a trunk with movable trays, the supports of one end of the trays being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the trunk closed. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the trunk looking from the center of the trunk toward the end. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the tray-supports broken to allow for indelinite length. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of Fig. 4, taken on theline l l. Fig. (i shows the lever by means of which the upper tray is forced down upon its immediately inferior tray. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 6.

Upon the'upper edge of the end of the trunkbody A, as shown in Fig. l, a metallic eye 0c is countersunk, the top of no being iiush with said edge. A similar eye is adjusted in a corresponding place and manner in the upper edge of the other end of A. This said trunkbody A, provided with the lid B, contains two or more trays, the upper one D accessible immediately upon raising B, and the lower ones E E provided with handles 7L 71, and removable in the same manner as drawers of a bureau. To make this last operation possible, the front C of the trunlcbody, or so much thereof as corresponds in height with the combined heights of the various trays E E, is

hinged and movable, swinging up from the bottom, where it is secured by the locks L L. To secure the front O when opened and raised, I employ the jointed hooks R R. These have, respectively, one end pivoted at r r to each of the ends of B on the inner side. When the trunk is closed, they are doubled and rest within B. When the trunk is open, they are extended and the hooks secured in the countersunkeyes m, whereby R R assist in keeping the lid B open; or, if access to the lower trays is'desired and O is raised, the hooks are caught over the free edge of O, thereby holding it open and giving perfect access to the handles of E E.

At each end of the trunk-body A and on the inside thereof I place two rods S3 S3, secured by brackets T T. Upon these rods are constructed the supports or shelves upon which the trays (except the bottom tray) rest, with intermediate springs. To go more fullyinto detail, the description of one end of the trunk will suffice, as the construction at both ends is similar. At the bottom of the two rods S3 S3, I place the springs S2 S2. Above and resting on those two springs I place the shelf S, provided with the collars S S', said collars each fitting around one of the said rods. Above these collars I again place springs S2 S2, and above and resting on these springs another shelf S, similarly provided with two collars S S', adjusted in the same manner as the others, and so on, providing a shelf with collars and supporting-springs at each end of the trunk for every tray save the bottom one. (See Figs. l, 2, and 3.) The trays A(except the bottom one) resting on these shelves necessarily bring their weight and that of their contents to bear upon the springs, and these are utilized in different ways to enable each tray to shut closely down upon its immediately infe rior tray and form a cover for it. Closing the lid B may force the upper tray D down upon E and the pressure thus exerted be communicated to lower trays until all have felt its influence; or an angle-iron p may be fastened at each end of D outside, and a lever I), with a foot p', adjusted at each end of the trunk-body inside and pivoted at p2 in such a manner that when the lever P is turned downward the foot p', acting on the plate p, forces it and the tray D down, and a pressure ICO is exerted upon the springs S2 S2 and the lower trays E E, as when the lid B is closed, as above described.

With the exception of the top tray the trays are furnished With anti-friction rollers w w w, located on the front, bottom, (resting on shelves,) and back. The top tray is thus provided only on its front and back.

As has been said, the contents of D are accessible immediately upon raising B. If it is desired to obtain something contained in one of the trays E E, the lid B and the front C are raised and the hooks R R are adjusted over the free edge of the latter. Then, if the pressure of the closed lid has forced the trays down one upon the other, the lid being raised,

. the force of the springs S2 S2 Will lift the trays and allow suflicient freedom for their movement. Y

If the lever P has been used to force the trays down, lifting it will again enable the springs to give freedom of movement to the trays, and the latter may be Withdrawn by means of their handles with slight elfort.

My invention may also be effectively applied to crates used in the transportation of fruits, dac.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The trunk-body A, furnished with the lid Band provided interiorly at each end with the rods S3 S3, sustained by the bracketsT T, with springs S2 S2 and shelves S S, with collars S S adjusted thereon, and having the hinged front C, combined with movable trays resting on said shelves, as hereinbefore set forth and described.

2. The trunk-body A, furnished with the lid B and provided interiorly at each end With the rods S3 S2, sustained by the brackets T T, with springs S2 S2 and shelves S S, with collars S S adjusted thereon, and having the hinged front C, combined with movable trays resting on said shelves, said trays being provided with rollers w w w, as hereinbefore set forth and described.

3. A lever P, having the foot p and piv oted, secured at each end of A on the inside, adjusted to bear upon an angle-iron p, fastened to each end of D on the outside, cornbined with the rods S2 S3, sustained by the brackets T T, the springs S2 S2, the shelves S S, having the collars S S adjusted thereon, and the movable trays E E, resting on said shelves, as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and described.

4. The combination, With the hinged front board C, of the jointed hooks R R, arranged for holding the front board in place when raised, as hereinbefore set forth and described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of January, 1890.

GEORGE OVENS.

In presence of JAMES W. EATON, Jr., WM. C. MARTINEAU. 

